...and Life Goes On, One Day, One Step at a Time

Come along with me. Thanks to Myasthenia Gravis I do not walk. Heard of it? Not I until my ophthalmologist diagnosed me with it. After researching it, I found what I needed – remission is possible! I am going to live my days of IVIG treatments on my Road to Remission right here before the world, be they good days or bad, bright or sunny. The Myasthenic. The Ragdoll. Me. *MY* Myasthenia. Please join me.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Well, I hope they still love me after so long since they have visited and I have posted that visit here. That goes for my blogger followers, also. Several unsavory things have come my way, and might I claim ththose things as *excuses* for reasons for being so long in posting? They are partially reasons, but......

The biggest surprise in all of my life was when this petite little head peered around my curtain, and needed no introduction whatsoever; she was beautiful! It was almost an unsavory time for visitors (no! don't you go away, you :). Jim was antsy in his chair facing the door, speaking to everyone who passed the door, which he does anyway, but in a "hurry, get on by, you're in the way, don't you know?" attitude. Know what? WHAT was going on? They he jumps up from his chair all excited, greeting whomever it was in the doorway that it WAS okay for them to be obstructing the passageway. MARGERY! Margery Fennell, Margery Fennell Morris! No, it cannot be. She lives in Alabama.

We talked, we giggled, it was just like long ago. Time passed all too quickly, and they had to go finally. We all asked questions. Larry asked questions of my wall which thrilled me so. Thank you Larry for wanting to know who everyone was, going way back into the 40s. Any more you've thought of that you did not get answered? After I get some scanned, I'll have some older ones, and you can come back and look at those and see if you know who those are. Chaces are I might not know who those are if they are too old, though. He couldn't get over we have five (5) great grand children - me neither, Larry..... the cost went up considerably, and each one didn't seem to understand why.No way can she be here in Jonesboro at the nursing center. Wonder of all wonders.

Margery, you will never know the love/friendship I have had for you all these years, and have longed to see you once again beyond our youth, and I do consider our time on our way to Turkey still in our youth. My, I was still VERY young, and I'm sure you were, too. lol I got to Turkey, and found out I knew absolutely nothing at all!! Nothing! I got off that plane, and wanted to get right back on it headed to the states, even to Maryland, even on a prop plane, even in the rain! Thank you for coming to see me. Thank you very, very very much. That was quite a surprise you and Jim cooked up. That had to be the best one yet for him I do believe.

Friday, October 16, 2009

I can beat it, yest I can beat it. Though I have lost so much, I still believe, walking ONE step at a time.....let's not get ahead of ourselves now or we'll trip over our own two feet, and mine are large.....I can beat it!

Monday, October 12, 2009

It has happened again! Friends have shown up at our door. Or maybe I should say, suddenly shown again within our hearts! Again friends from Turkey. I have to say they are more punctual than I am in writing about the blessing he brought to my life.

We were in Turkey twice - in the 1960s we were in Izmir (biblical city of Smyrna), and that is when we were friends of the Sassers who were here a couple of months ago. Then in the early 1970s we were in Ankara. While there we were members of the Galatian Baptist Mission, a Southern Baptist church pastored by a Southern Baptist missionary Jim Leeper. Jim was originally from Dayton, Kentucky, which is just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio; his wife Jean was from Michigan. Now living in Louisville, Kentucky, since their retirement, this week they were on their way to San Antonio, Texas, to visit with their son and his family. Their trek from Louisville to San Antonio was going to take them across central Arkansas, bringing them close to us. We spent a couple of hours reminiscing, and catching up on long ago friends.

Here is a picture Jim took of them (he was in better picture-taking position) at their recent 50th wedding anniversary.

They also gave us a picture of their beautiful family, Tracy, Kelly, Kerri, and Jamie. The children were all young when we were in Turkey at the same time, and do not have memories

Saturday, October 10, 2009

I walked around my room this morning. My legs tell me when I have reach my limit. I am going to start winding down a few steps sooner because the last few steps cause me to nearly faulter, and feel like I am about to stumble. Nonetheless, I have made it each time. I was especially proud because I have an upper respiratory infection and am not feeling well, running a fever, and the nice things that accompany that, but I want to gain my walking freedom, so I persevered, and made about four turns in my room. Yippie I yay! Yippie I yoy!

My legs tell me when I have reached my limit. They, as in the past at St. Bernard's, think it is muscle strengthening and building. Jim, as do I, disagree, and I will have to pull my thoughts together on it later by going over the research notes on myasthenia. For now, if I can manage enough to get around in my room, I will take that and be happy. No questions, nor judgments at this time. The only thing I want are my Christmas graphics!!! Something like these .......

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Yes, that is what I did yesterday, September 28th. I still cannot believe you would call it walking, but I put one foot in front of the other and propelled myself onward.....yes, forward. My goal was there. I had done it when being assesed for what I could do, but for some reason this was different. It was just *B* and me. I stood. Tested those legs. Looked at *B*. Nodded, then said, "Let's go," letting out a breath at the same time. I stopped at a metal chair we had set up there just in a certain position so that if I needed to sit down, it was exactly where I wouldn't need to take a step, or movement change of any kind, but rather just plop myself right down and maybe write myself a letter.....no, no.....rest my probable, shaky, weak legs. Not much problem, but getting up posed a new problem. My feet were slippery on the floor.....no traction. Uh, oh. What were we going to do. There we were in the middle of the floor, nothing surrounding us. Then *B* put her forefinger to her face (really she did) and stood before me, touching my bare toes with her shoes, and looked firmly before my eyes, no smile of any kind....no foolishness here. There was something between our fingers, our hands, our arms.....less try it again, and let's GO.....YES!! Up I came again, and off I went, letting go, and on my own again.... running down the runway oops I'm not flying, just walking toward the bathroom. *B* was waiting for me there, and when I arrived she looked at me and virtually shouted, "You made it!" Who ever had someone praise them upon reaching the bathroom? Out of breath, I was SO happy. I looked up at her eyes. I could smile!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

What can I do for someone else today? So many have done so much for me.

No one has done as much for me, I guess, just thinking right now, as the Larson family, who began this year with the death of little Coleman. Not enough can be said about them with Peggy's daily journal's. And then there was Jocelyn's Random Act of Kindness, her giving me a Team Neva Div Up shirt which surpassed anything I could have ever imagined, never in my wildest dreams. Now this was after coming all the way from Texas out here to this little corner of Arkansas to see *Jim and me* while I was yet still in the hospital, believing God had laid it on their hearts. I love it the way they tell it that they were just sitting there, Jim turned around, and said, "Let's go to Arkansas." Up and away, here they came, and spent the whole weekend, doing something for us I could never have dreamed of, bringing miracle after miracle. Literally miracle after miracle, the like of which cannot be retold here. What love, and oh, how much I appreciate everything they shared, still in amazement with ALL they did share with us that weekend. I know they are reading this, and I just want you guys to know how much I love you, and this is on top of everything else.

That was followed by a visit from the Sasser's all the way from Louisiana, but first with a swing by Izmir, Turkey, in the early 60s, where we became as a family in 1964. (See the self-picture of us below ;). In fact Patricia may have become closer than any family member could ever possibly have been with her love for our first born son Jim; Jimmie was there in the delivery room when he was born in 64. Now THAT is pretty close! We love them so!

These are only two expression s that have been done for me recently. I really love you guys.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

"You are the only person on this earth who can use your ability." Zig Ziglar

This plays so well into our MG. We MGers are like snowflakes, no two of us being the same. I am the only one with my abilities. Only I can do what I will with what I have. Yesterday I did what I did with the ability I had. Today I will do with the ability that I have been given. Tomorrow I will do with the ability that I will have been given. I am the only person who can use my ability.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

What a wonderful day. I know we can say that about a lot of days, and I certainly do, but a recent Saturday was a real exception in greatness. The morning crept on, and I had not heard from Jim about the absurdness of even considering the thought of his not coming over (did I get that all twisted and turned around, or what? you guess!). I fired a text off to him.... "Pluuuzzz ... I'll let you come visit me today!" Subtle or what or not... lol! Not very was it? In a few moments, in he walked.

Ken came in not long afterward to visit with Dottie. He had a coupon for Ruby Tuesday he shared with us since we eat there so often. Us? Eat at Ruby Tuesday frequently? No more than at Cracker Barrell like we did recently.....hmmmm was it ever so good, too! It was for crab cakes (actually most any buy one get one, free, ore something or other), and I knew right away that I wanted the crab cake dinner. It is delicious, and i hope with the brocholli it is pretty good for me, too. Couldn't help but snitch a few bites of the mashed potatoes.....very small bites, too.....I promise. :)

Every time Jim comes we "went out" by eating in my room, usually something special we never get to eat otherwise. Looking over this coupon stirred my appetite the for crabcake diner. It is really, oh. so good! Now for me to sway from from Ruby Tuesday Ribs it has to be super.....and it is! So. This was our decision. No good sandwich for us this time; a meal. Nearing eleven, Jim went on to get our food while my mouth began to water, tasting the crabcake about to pass my palate. It may sound silly, but we were going to get tea for two also; they have they delicious tea!

They can talk about *primed rib* and anything else *primed* but I was primed without the usual "what do you want to eat" routine we normally bark upon because it sound good to Jim, too.

After the hmmm gooods were done, and the trash gathered and disposed of, we set about gathering the latest news between us. Today also included a shopping list to Wal-mart. I try my best to not incude those, but invariably there is something I am needing from there, but there is always something I am needing.

We started about cleaning out the middle drawer of the chest best beside my bed. It was still as Brenda had left it when she was here, and there was quite a bit that needed changing, plus chunging along.....is chunging a word.....let's just pretend it is for now.

One of the things I've been doing is trying to recapturing my drawing. :o( Well, my pencils came up missing, and I know they were here. Without a big long spiel about knowing they were here, and belief they were still here, I had set about looking and looking for them. I was just sure I had seen them waaaay under my bed.... how far under a twin bed can you go..... but could not reach them even with my reacher. It was one of the first places I had Jim to look. He got my reacher, and I knew he was reaching for something, and it was probably the pencils. Little did I know it was going to yield a small gold mind encased in silver. Yes, he identified the pencil bag, which he did very demurely. Oh, I was so happy to see that mesh bag with those pencils inside of it!

There was discovery after discovery, and after each discovery we Praised the Lord, for it was evident He was pouring them on, one blessing after another. What more could there be. Reminds me of a Gaither song that says "If he keeps on blessing and blessing, if he keeps on pouring them on....?"

It makes you wonder just how much more wonderful it can be doesn't it?

About Me

From growing up in the 40s and 50s on the banks of the Mississippi River in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, I traveled the world in the 60s and 70s, courtesy of husband Jim’s Air Force career, then we retired back home in Arkansas. . . Blytheville, AFB. I have had a full life with three children, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren with a fifth one due in August. Stick around. The road might get rocky at times, but then, that is LIFE, and Life Goes On, One Day at a time, One Step at a Time.

I'm a member

People Against Childhood Cancer

Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of Arkansas Mission Statement

MISSION STATEMENT

Of Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, Arkansas Chapter is the conquest of Myasthenia Gravis through programs of research, education, information, and patient servises to improve the lives of all people affected by Myasthenia Gravis.